My thoughts on the Phillies season.

Phillies continues their winning way on the road as they defeat the Padres, 5-3.

Back-to-back dingers from Chase Utley and Ryan Howard help to support a strong effort by ‘Kentucky Joe’ Blanton as the Phils defeated the Padres, 5-3.

The Padres took the lead in the second as, with runners on the corners, and nobody out, Kevin Kouzmanoff hits into a 6-4-3 double play, wiping out at second base Brian Giles, who had earlier singled, while scoring on the play Scott Hairston, who had earlier singled, and had gone to third on Giles’ single, giving San Diego a 1-0 lead. The Phils would tie the game up at one-all in the third as, with two men on, and nobody out, Shane Victorino hits an RBI single, scoring Phils’ starter Joe Blanton, who had earlier walked, and had gone to second on Jimmy Rollins’ single, while sending Rollins, who had just singled, over to third base. The Phils took the lead one batter later as Chase Utley hits an RBI single, scoring Rollins, while sending Victorino on to second, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead. The Phils made it 3-1 in the fifth as Chase Utley hits a lead-off home run, his twelfth home run of the year. One batter later, Ryan Howard would hit a solo home run of his own, his fifteenth home run of the year, making it a 4-1 Phils’ lead. The Padres would get a run back in the sixth as, with two men out, Adrian Gonzalez hits a solo home run, his twenty-first home run of the year, making it a 4-2 Phils’ lead. The next batter, Hairston, followed with a solo shot of his own, his eighth home run of the year, cutting the Phils’ lead down to 4-3. The Phils tacked on an insurance run in the eighth as, with a man on and two men out, Victorino hits an RBI double, knocking in pinch hitter Greg Dobbs, who had earlier doubled, and had gone to third on Rollins’ lined out to right, giving the Phils a 5-3 lead. That would end up being the final score, as the Phillies’ bullpen kept the Padres’ off the scoreboard in the final two innings, with Brad Lidge recording his fourth save in four straight games and his thirteenth save of the season.

Joe Blanton got the win as he pitched a strong seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out five. His record is now 4-3 with a 5.86 ERA. Scott Eyre pitched an inning plus one batter, recording his tenth hold, as he gave up no runs on no hits and a walk, while striking out one. Brad Lidge pitched a scoreless ninth as he nailed down his thirteenth save of the year. Kevin Correia took the lost as he pitched only four and a third innings, giving up four runs on ten hits and three walks, while striking out five. His record is now 1-4 with a 5.37 ERA. Cla Meredith pitched two-thirds of an inning, getting out both men that he would face, with a strikeout. Joe Thatcher pitched two scoreless innings, striking out two. Luke Gregerson pitched an inning, giving up a run on two hits, as he struck out one. Greg Burke pitched a scoreless inning, striking out a batter.

The Phillies had a total of twelve hits in the game. Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez each led the way with two hits each, with one of Utley’s hits being a solo home run. Ryan Howard, Pedro Feliz, Carlos Ruiz and Greg Dobbs had the other four Phils’ hits, with Howard’s being a home run. Utley and Victorino each knocked in two runs, while Howard knocked in one. Half of the Phils’ hits were for extra-bases (2Bs (4), HRs (2)). The Phils left eleven men on base, which they will need to improve on if they expect to have a good road trip.

The Phillies (29-20, 1st) will continue their three-games series with the Padres (25-26, 3rd National League West), with a night game tonight at PETCO Park. The game will start at 10:05 pm Eastern. The Phillies’ starter will be rookie Antonio Bastardo (0-0, -.–), who is making his major league debut, taking the place, in the Phils’ starting rotation, of the injured Brett Myers. He will be going after his first major league win. The Padres will counter with their ace Jake Peavy (5-5, 3.67), who is coming off a win against the D-backs on May 27, as he went six and a third innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and a walk, while striking out five, in the Padres’ 8-5 win. He will be going for his sixth win of the season. The Phillies will be trying to give a lot of run support to Bastardo in his first start in the big leagues.

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